"I have so much respect for the game and guys who have done it really good for a long time," Knighton explained Thursday.

But it wasn't exactly free.

"I texted him and said, 'You know, it's yours, but it's going to cost you,'" Knighton recalled with a smile.

So what did it cost?

"Just know it was a little bit more than other guys get just because I felt like I did a really good job in 94," he laughed. "They were probably going to start making jerseys and stuff, so I told him he'd have to pay for all that and reimburse my mom for the 20 jerseys she bought. It was a pretty penny."